Marian Drew (Artist) 10/3/10

Work
Marian Drew Wallaby and Tarpaulin archival pigment on hahnemule cotton paper 112cm x 134 cm 2006
Marian Drew Pelican on Paper and Linen archival pigment on hahnemule cotton paper 70cm x 90cm 2005
Marian Drew Tasmanian Rosella with Apple archival pigment on hahnemule cotton paper 90cm x 110cm 2006
Marian Drew Crow with Salt archival pigment on hahnemule cotton paper 112 cm x 134cm 2006
Marian Drew Wombat and Watermelon archival pigment on hahnemule cotton paper 112cm x 134cm 2005
Marian Drew Marsupial with Protea archival pigment on hahnemule cotton paper 112cm x 134cm 2005
Marian Drew Bandicoot with Quince archival pigment on hahnemule cotton paper 70cm x 90cm 2005



Bio

Marian Drew is an Australian photographer and video artist, born 1960, educated post graduate at Kassel University, Experimental Photography, Germany. Her experiences in Germany shaped the vision for her work, mimicking Dutch still-life paintings of wild animal offerings. Drew parallels the art historical reference in content, as well as in practice. She creates still life tableau out of the local Brisbane fauna which fell to the consequences of societal and economic advance. Drew relates this effect on the wildlife of Australia by the social sprawl to concepts she derived from the Dutch still life paintings, saying, "the wealthy landowners in Renaissance Europe believed that the abundance of nature was for their human consumption." (Drew) For Drew to achieve the painterly quality she does in her work, she exposes her subjects onto film in a dark studio for fifteen minutes, an almost ritualistic practice, before she buries the dead wildlife in her large backyard.
Marian Drew has exhibited in solo and group shows in many countries worldwide, and her work is placed in many institutions in Australia, such as, The National Gallery of Australia and The Queensland Art Gallery.

"Marian Drew: Biography" Dianne Tanzer Gallery and Projects. Accessed 10/3/10

Relates

My work relates to Drew's, for one, in its references to death, and the symbolism within it. In my work, I explore the culture and reasoning behind the practice of taxidermy, which I find merely a more conscious display of answers in the same line of questioning used by Drew to come to her photographic conclusion. The reasons for hunting are boundless, however, trophy hunting, to me, displays the existence of human and animal life colliding in terms of relative boundaries, and the trophies resulting as an exaltation of a successful encounter, a display of dominance physically, mentally, evolutionarily, and even sexually. Boiling it down, taxidermy results from a more generalized socioeconomic sprawl than roadkill and Drew's subjects symbolize death in a way similar to my subjects. In both settings, the once alive subject, in a way, represents the placement of humans in the hierarchy as well as the need for that current placement to expand and include more power.
My work relates to Drew's also, in that I too am interested in incorporating historical references in my work which further the concept. I am very interested in the mythical and folklore references to bestiality and how it plays into the discussion of modern inter-species relationships, like hunting and stuffing.


Quotations

"Marian Drew's art practice in photography, video drawing and sculpture explores the connection of domestic activity to cultural identity and the relationship to place through an acknowledgement of history and the physical engagement with landscape."

"Associate Professor: Marian Drew" Queensland College of Art, Griffith University. Accessed 10/3/10.

"By imitating the historic painted forms of 'Still Life' but replacing paint with photographic verisimilitude, and familiar European animals with Australian native species, a discord is exposed. The work aims to overlay the historical and the present, the European with the antipodean, and photography with painting, while exploring contemporary notions of death and a changing relationship with animals."

"Marian Drew: Biography" Dianne Tanzer Gallery and Projects. Accessed 10/3/10

Interview
(Art World Magazine)

http://www.emotionadvertising.com.au/artworldmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=72%3Aissue-4-uk&id=46%3Amarian-drew&itemid=37

Also,
Here is a video of Drew working on some large-scale photograms.

Galleries

http://www.diannetanzergallery.net.au/artist.php?name=Marian%20Drew

http://www.hillsmithgallery.com.au/gallery/gal_01.html


Website

www.mariandrew.com